Skip to main content

Sew Along: Making a Winter Coat

I've always wanted to make a winter coat. I tried my hand at a blazer about 10 years ago, (I was about 16 at the time) but didn't like the way it turned out. That ended up in the trash.... I'm a little older now and have learned a lot more about sewing, so I'm ready to take it on! I will be using Simplicity #2311. I wanted to make a classic-style coat that is timeless and stylish. 

Simplicity #2311
For the fabric, I chose a Burberry-inspired plaid wool coating. Of course I had to choose something that will make this project just a little bit harder, but I'm really excited to learn how to match plaids! I had this fabric in my stash, although it is from Fabric Mart. We had it on our website last year. 


For the lining I will be using an Italian silk crepe de chine from our website (CWD4232 - Italian Crepe de Chine in Navy). I will be making the coat extra warm by interlining it with cotton flannel and will be using a weft-interfacing. 

CWD4232 - Italian Crepe de Chine in Navy 
Before I cut out any of the pattern pieces from the good fabric, I will be sewing up a muslin. I do not usually create a muslin because I'm too impatient. BUT I do not want to mess this up. I've already cut out the pattern pieces from my muslin and hope to start working on it over the weekend.

I've been doing a lot of research on this pattern. I really enjoy using Pattern Review to see what others have to say about the pattern. While researching on Pattern Review, I came across a blog that also featured her process in sewing this coat pattern -- Notes from a Mad Housewife. I immediately fell in love with Lisa's blog. She has a lot of insight on what steps to make to complete a beautiful winter coat. She just finished her version of the coat, check it out here. I got the idea to interline with cotton flannel and to use weft-interfacing from her blog also.

Any advice on how to match plaids? I've only done it on a small scale, so this is a HUGE jump for me!

~Julie

Comments

  1. love the fabric, this will look really classy! and how apropos... i just did a plaid dress! it's not hard to match plaids, just takes a good deal of patience. i found it was easiest to pick a match point on the seams (either a notch or draw in your own reference point) to easily cross reference between pieces. check and double check! it takes longer to plot out, but it's time well spent.

    thanks for the shout out, i really look forward to seeing how your coat progresses!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks for the advice! I'm going to start cutting out the good pattern pieces later this week!

      Delete
  2. So excited to follow you, Julie! And thanks for pointing me to Lisa!! I don't have the time right now, but will look up what weft-interfacing is, why it's better, and where to get it!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I made myself a coat last year, but this year I want to make one for my daughter. It's going to be in plaid, too, and I've haven't picked a pattern yet, but I'm going to start next month when the Pattern Review children's contest starts.

    ReplyDelete
  4. B&J Fabrics stocks a unique selection of wool coating fabric.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Did someone say FREE??? All about Free Sewing Patterns

Hi sewing friends! I am SEW excited to share this blog post with you today! This is my fifth post with Fabric Mart since I did a guest post late last year and then joined the blogging team in 2024 but I would say this is the post that 1) I worked the hardest to create, and 2) the one that has me the most excited! Today I am going to talk about FREE sewing patterns, showcase a few free patterns I’ve sewn, and then share some very exciting news at the end of this post about an upcoming! First, let’s talk about free patterns – where they come from, why they exist, and how you can find them. But first, here’s a recent free pattern I sewed. This is the Finn Crop Tee from Petite Stitchery . I used an ITY (Interlock Twist Yarn) for this one and I was able to squeeze it out a yard of a fabric. ITY is one of my favorite fabrics to dress up a t-shirt and it wears well across all seasons. And Fabric Mart gets the most AMAZING designer deadstock designs you will ever see! Petite Stitchery offers

Made By A Fabricista: My Anthropologie Recreate the look Dress!

I went shopping at Anthropologie this Summer with my daughter and she kept saying you should make an Anthropologie Dress, but better! (Like it’s hard?!) So, I did! I chose a beautiful cotton lawn with a navy background, abstract purple roses plus green and beige stems/leaves. I chose to use the Tilly and the buttons Lyra shirt dress pattern with the extra tier and long sleeves. I made my size according to my measurements without any adjustments. I did widen the tie belt to make a larger bow. Anthropologie has a dress now on their site called the Bettina Tiered Shirt Dress by Maeve for $148. How did I do?? I really enjoy wearing and sewing Cotton Lawn. When I see it available on Fabric Mart, I grab it up quickly! This dress is light and soft but with long sleeves it is the perfect dress to wear for Fall.  I don’t normally like shirt dresses or collars, but this oversized dress pattern fits comfortably. The collar is not difficult at all. Tilly has a video to help, but I didn’t need it b

Made By A Fabricista: Fall is here!

Fall is here, and I have been in a coat/cape mood lately! I have a few that I plan to make, however, this pattern was not in the plans. It was in my stash, but it wasn’t on my “must make” list. I wanted to make a coordinating set but I thought it might be a little too much with this print. Now, I absolutely love animal prints, don’t get me wrong. I am a sucker for them! When I saw this jacquard double knit I had to have it. Instead, I decided to make an easy, comfortable cape that I can wear casually or dressed up. This pattern and fabric were perfect! The pattern I chose to make is McCall’s 8029. This cape has three designs that you can choose from. I chose to make view C. View C has a hood. All three views have a neck and front facing and a belt/tie. Now, if you are wanting to make a cape but would like something on the easy side, this is your cape! I didn’t realize just how easy this was prior to getting started. This cape has minimal sewing. It doesn’t even require a hem. Which, w